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No other wasteland can beckon you as much as Fallout, especially after watching Amazon’s mind-blowing TV adaptation. It’s just that, there are a lot of Fallout games right now, and the most recent two of them are Fallout 4 vs Fallout 76. Both games will eat up your waking hours like a starving feral ghoul. So in the interest of your time, I’m going to pit the two Fallout games in a Great War to see who comes out in a prettier post-apocalypse.
Visuals & Atmosphere
It’s a funny category, given how both Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 look nigh-on-identical. You could even mistake one for the other with just a UI color change. Seeing as both games look too alike technically, I’m judging this one by the atmosphere and immersion both games present.
On that front, Fallout 4 wins by a significant margin. Boston in Fallout 4 has more personality than the lush Appalachia in Fallout 76 and looks more like a quintessential wasteland by comparison. There’s also more visual variety in Fallout 4 given how you’re also presented with both a city and a wilderness area. If that’s not enough, you can head over to Nuka World or Far Harbor for a change of scenery.
Winner: Fallout 4
Audio & Music
Well, this one’s a bit of a toss-up for music as well since both games use the same soundtrack. However, Fallout 4 had a better and more spiritual use of its music. It fits better with the game’s visuals and atmosphere. So, while the newer Fallout 76 has more songs, Fallout 4‘s more definitive jazz just feels more memorable.
But even if Fallout 76 tied with Fallout 4 for its quality of music, Fallout 4 is still ahead in the audio department because it has better voice acting. Even your character is voice-acted, so you don’t need to revert back to old Fallout 3 roleplaying during quest dialogs.
Winner: Fallout 4
Content & Replay Value
Fallout 4 is a single-player game, while Fallout 76 is live-service with multiplayer. You simply get more content for Fallout 76 as time goes by, while Fallout 4’s shelf-life is limited to how many playthroughs you can complete before getting bored with the usual content and quests.
In Fallout 76, you can play indefinitely and there will always be something new on the horizon as long as the developers keep updating the game. The endgame loop in Fallout 76 can even feel like an MMORPG at times so there’s more to do in this game and more to work towards.
Winner: Fallout 76
Story & Presentation
A separate category for the game’s story is warranted, seeing as it’s a huge part of the Fallout experience. With that in mind, Fallout 4 wins by a landslide, even though it doesn’t have the greatest Fallout story. Because there is an actual story here. There’s an urge to save the world and become part of something grand.
In Fallout 76, there’s merely a premise where you have to reclaim the Appalachian wasteland to rebuild humanity. That’s it. There are bits of environmental storytelling through holo-tapes and recordings, but the presentation is a lot less impactful. Fallout 76 is less of a cinematic experience compared to Fallout 4.
Winner: Fallout 4
Modding
Both games have a modding scene, but Fallout 76 is vastly more limited due to its online live-service structure. Fallout 76‘s mods are mostly visual overhauls. Anything that modifies gameplay might get you banned and is considered a cheat. So tread lightly.
Fallout 4, on the other hand, doesn’t have this kind of restriction. Feel free to install mods that change the very fabric of the game and turn it into something else! The possibilities feel limitless. But that’s only because of the limitations in Fallout 76. That said, Fallout 4 is still no Skyrim, by the way.
Winner: Fallout 4
Gameplay
In terms of combat, Fallout 76’s gameplay is an improvement over 4; However, V.A.T.S. took a considerable hit (pun intended) to functionality. It no longer slows down the game to a pseudo-bullet time. This arguably makes fights in Fallout 76 less cinematic, though V.A.T.S. is still satisfying to use.
What makes Fallout 76 stand out better than Fallout 4 is the more motivating gameplay loop of exploring, fighting, looting, and crafting. There’s also PvP in the game, which is optional if you want it to be. So, there are more reasons to become stronger in Fallout 76 and better reasons to stockpile food and drinks thanks to the default survival elements.
Winner: Fallout 76
Accessibility
Fallout 76 has a shorter tutorial and mechanics that are more accessible to a wider audience, mainly survival game players. Everything is accessible right away as soon as you get out of the Vault. Meanwhile, Fallout 4 will have you going through several hoops and through quests that you might break to unlock certain mechanics.
Questing is also relatively more complex in Fallout 4, while Fallout 76 is a multiplayer sandbox right off the bat. It’s meant to be played with your friends. You can power through any difficulty you encounter in Fallout 76 with a party, and right now, more players are coming in (and potentially settling the Fallout 4 vs Fallout 76 query).
Winner: Fallout 76
Price
Both games are dirt cheap today. Nevertheless, Fallout 76 is free for anyone with an Amazon Prime or Amazon Prime Gaming subscription. You can even claim it up until May 15. If you already have an Amazon Prime subscription (especially after watching Amazon’s Fallout show), then Fallout 76 is technically free.
Fallout 4 and its Game of the Year Edition with all the DLCs will still set you back a few dollars. However, Fallout 4 is also getting a next-gen console update soon, so it might be worth purchasing just to relive the experience in higher resolution.
Winner: Fallout 76
Definitive Experience
One of the reasons why Amazon’s Fallout show is so liked is how it managed to recreate the moral dilemma of your typical Fallout game. Viewers could easily put themselves in Lucy’s shoes and feel their sense of code and ethics getting ripped apart. It’s a trademark Fallout franchise magic with plot twists that feel more raw given the setting and the overall themes.
Suffice it to say, Fallout 4 can offer that experience much better than Fallout 76 can. Heck, in Fallout 76, there’s little to no definitive Fallout RPG moment that will keep you awake at night. It offers a more arcade experience. With its combination of a better story and more immersive wasteland, Fallout 4 is what you need to play if you want to experience a close parallel to Amazon’s Fallout.
Winner: Fallout 4
Overall Winner Is… Fallout 4
Here’s what I recommend for our Fallout 4 vs Fallout 76 debate. Get Fallout 76 for free, and then buy the dirt-cheap Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition. Win-win. But if time is more of an issue than money, then you’re better off giving your attention to Fallout 4, if you still have a Fallout fever thanks to Amazon’s adaptation.
Fallout 76 is better for fans of survival and sandbox games, while Fallout 4 is better for RPG fans and those who care more about story and memorable scripted experiences. You still can’t go wrong with either. Unlike radiation, more doses of Fallout, thankfully, won’t hurt you.
